Our hearts burned as we watched on media screens the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris lit up by fire. This cathedral, which witnessed historic events in the French capital for nearly 850 years ago, is a holy place, is an art masterpiece and a distinguished symbol of human civilization.

In these dark times, we affirm our support to the French people and President Emmanuel Macron and declare our full solidarity with them for this tragic loss to humanity.

As we pray for the French people at these painful moments, we hope and trust the French people’s ability and good relations around the world to rebuild the cathedral, so it would become a symbol of the French people’s ability to turn this catastrophe into a world-renowned achievement.

 

Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem

+Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate

+Patriarch Nourhan Manougian, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Patriarchate

+Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Apostolic Administrator, Latin Patriarchate

+Fr. Francesco Patton, ofm, Custos of the Holy Land

+Archbishop Anba Antonious, Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, Jerusalem

+Archbishop Gabriel Daho, Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate

+Archbishop Aba Embakob, Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate

+Archbishop Yaser AL-Ayash, Greek-Melkite-Catholic Patriarchate

+Archbishop Mosa El-Hage, Maronite Patriarchal Exarchate

+Archbishop Suheil Dawani, Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East

+Bishop Ibrahim Sani Azar, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land

+Bishop Pierre Malki, Syrian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate

+Most Rev. Krikor-Okosdinos Coussa, Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate

Source: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem